Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economy Recovery and Innovation, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for January 2021:

“This winter and the second wave of the pandemic have been a strain for people and businesses in British Columbia, but our combined efforts to follow the guidance of the provincial health officer have resulted in an economy that continues to show resilience.

“Despite the large number of job losses in many parts of Canada, British Columbia was able to create 2,800 jobs in January, according to the latest Labour Force Survey. We’re also seeing the positive trend toward full-time employment continue.”

“Since the economic low point of the pandemic in April, B.C. has seen nine consecutive months of job growth, bringing employment levels to more than 98% of pre-pandemic levels. However, significant challenges remain for many sectors where the impacts of the pandemic continue to limit operations, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Additionally, people of colour and Indigenous peoples in British Columbia continue to face disproportionate impacts during this pandemic.”

“Our province’s economic recovery will not fully take hold until vaccinations have been fully administered, which is why it is critically important we do everything we can to prevent the spread of this virus. At the same time, we will work collaboratively with the hardest-hit sectors to support them during this difficult time and ensure we're building a recovery in B.C. that closes inequality gaps in our society.”

“The Province’s $10-billion COVID-19 response is focused on protecting people’s health and livelihoods, and investing in stronger communities and a bright future.

“The pandemic changed the way people work and the way we do business. We have introduced several programs under the StrongerBC Economic Recovery Plan to help businesses pivot, recover and protect jobs.

“We will continue to listen and be responsive to the needs of people, businesses and communities to see them through the pandemic and into a strong economic recovery that will support all British Columbians.”

Learn More:

StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/

To apply for the Small- and Medium-Sized Business Recovery Grant, visit:
www.BCBusinessRecoveryGrant.com

Expressions of Interest for the Building Strong Supply Chain Grants will be accepted until Feb. 18, 2021.
For details, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/economic-recovery/supply-chain-resiliency-grant

The Province is currently seeking a proponent through a request for proposal to support delivery of the Accelerating Manufacturing Scale-Up Grants.
For application details, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/economic-recovery/manufacturing-grant

For more information and to register for the Digital Marketing Bootcamp, visit:
https://www.alacritycanada.com/online-digital-marketing-bootcamp/

For more information on the Launch Online Grant program, visit: www.launchonline.ca

For information on services and benefits available to help people and businesses through the pandemic, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/COVIDgovernmentbenefits